Page 106 - OO_2018

Joanna Harries (K 06) got in touch to let me know that she is still a singer and graduated in July 2018 from the opera school in Glasgow (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). She has been enjoying working with the Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera, Opera Holland Park, the Bach Festival in Świdnica in Poland and, as a young artist, at Handel House in London and Britten-Pears in Aldeburgh. Her website is www.joannaharries.com, where you can listen to a few of her performances. I have sampled them and recommend you try them as well.
Abi Carter (K 01) tells me that her work as a forensic scientist continues as before, but she is now on the Welsh National Board of Remembering Srebrenica, a charity she has been involved with after having worked on some of the evidence from the genocide there in 1995. Remembering Srebrenica is the UK charitable initiative that promotes Srebrenica Memorial Day on 11th July and educates about the consequences of hate. Abi was selected as a Community Champion of the Month for May by the charity, which had this to say about her in their newsletter: “Through her forensic work, Abi helped compile some of the forensic evidence from the primary mass graves in Srebrenica and Abi’s professional interest in Srebrenica became a personal passion for sharing the lessons from the genocide, after attending a delegation with Remembering Srebrenica in September 2017. Since then, Abi has been a dedicated and committed Community Champion having joined the Welsh National Board and carrying out inspiring work to raise awareness of the genocide through organising high- profile events. Most recently, with the help of other Welsh Community Champions, Abi organised an exhibition entitled Witness at the Pierhead Gallery in Cardiff, showcasing the artwork of fellow Community Champion Robert McNeil MBE. In addition to this, Abi has spoken about Srebrenica at numerous events, written articles for newspapers, given talks at local schools and worked with interfaith organisations, all to share the lessons from Srebrenica. Thank you,
South Wales
By Peter Moore (Ldr 88)
Abi for everything you have done and continue to do to share the lessons from Srebrenica and to work towards building a better, stronger more cohesive society.”
Working backwards in time through the Welsh OOs, my next news was from James Moore (S 93).I must mention him up front, as he tells me that his father - Ken Moore (S 58) - always looks out for his updates in The Old Oundelian, even though he could just pick up the phone and call! James continues to enjoy being part of shaping the Welsh Public Services as Assistant Director of Organisational Development for the Welsh Ambulance Services, being part of actually making the whole thing work better for people. His work is mainly focused on supporting and challenging individuals, teams and the system to be the best they can, more focused on prevention (rather than just cure) and being more joined up in focusing on their community. James has taken on triathlons in the last 12 months and is getting closer to elite level, but this will take him 3-4 more years. He notes that having crashed off his bike in a recent triathlon at nearly 30mph and yet still finishing, he couldn’t tell whether this was to do with the enduring sportsman not giving up or his Yorkshire roots not wanting to waste his entry fee! His middle child (William) started at Wellington School in Somerset in Year 9
with a sports scholarship in September. He is now a regular Welsh cricketer and played against women’s world champions England in a warm-up for their Tri-Series.
That brings the news to me. I still continue to work as a forensic material scientist, investigating material failures both close to home and around the globe. This year took me to Northern Australia, a territory where even the capital, Darwin, seems a remote backwater. Working in the large shore side energy facilities there, the trip was enlivened by the proximity of marine crocodiles, not often encountered in South Wales! The local rugby club, Pontyclun RFC, continue to trust me as a first aider, apparently working on the basis that a willingness to help and some basic first aid is better than actual medical qualifications. However, I try to avoid volunteering for the ‘big’ teams; currently, the minis and juniors are quite demanding enough.
I once again spent a very enjoyable week sailing on the Norfolk Broads with Peter Gilman (D 88); lots of sun and wind, and barely a drop of rain. No one was lost overboard and there were no visits to A&E. All in all, a very successful week.
Another graduate of ‘88, Chris Williams (Ldr 88),was kind enough to reply to my emails to wish me luck in gathering news. He remains working in Wales as a consultant and meets up roughly every year with friends from Oundle and Laxton Schools, most recently in a very hot Oxford earlier in July.
Tim Dowdeswell (Ldr 83) sent me an update saying that he moved to Montgomeryshire seven years ago, after buying a farm, which continues to give him much pleasure. He has also become actively involved in the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society and just completed his first Royal Welsh Show, as Assistant Show Director, responsible for the trade stands. His elder son, Charlie Dowdeswell (Ldr 14),graduated from the Royal Agricultural University with a 2:1 BSc Hons earlier this summer.
Moving back to the 70s, I received a
NEWS FROM HOME
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THE OLD OUNDELIAN 2017 –2018